Vine-cutter



G. L. MCCREADY- VINE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1919.

1,336,976, Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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VINE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, 1919. 1,336,976, Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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GEORGE L. MGCREADY, 0F PARKSLEY, VIRGINIA.

VINE-CUTTER.

Application filed February 5, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. MGCREADY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parksley, in the county of Accomac and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vine-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to vine cutters and relates particularly to machines of this character which are utilized to cut vines that grow and extend along or close to the ground, for example, such as potato vines.

The object of the invention is to improve the means for adjustably sustaining the cutter blades.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein,

Figure 1, shows a machine in side elevation to which my improvements are attached.

Fig. 2, illustrates the same in top plan.

Fig. 3, shows an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the beam, the slide bar and slide and also shows the guide bar in vertical section.

Fig. 4, illustrates a vertical sectional detail taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5, shows a sectional plan view through the parts illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6, illustrates the detached adjusting head in perspective and, I

Fig. 7, shows in perspective the slide bar, the supports therefor and the slide head that moves thereon, all of said parts being detached.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 8, designates a runner having up-turned ends 9 and 10, which latter enter vertical slots 11 and 12 respectively in a horizontal beam 13. Bolts 14, extend horizontally through the beam and also through the up-turned runner ends to sustain the beam on said ends.

In front of the runner-end 10, and slot 12, the beam is provided across its top edge with a horizontally-extending top notch or groove 15, which extends entirely across the beam for one-vertical side to the other and forms a horizontal top recess across the beam in which a cross bar 16 may seat.

This cross bar has a straight intermediate portion whichseats in the-beam recess and has its two ends 17, bent or inclined rearwardly from said '-straight portion and also projecting outwardly from opposite Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Serial No. 275,055.

sides of the beam and which are free or unsupported at their extreme outer ends, for a purpose that will presently be explained.

Each vertical side of the beam 13, is provided with a metal side plate 18, with an inturned flange 19, at its upper side,the flat sides of the metal plates seating close against the sides of the beam and the flanges 19, at the top projecting over the top surface of the beam, as clearly seen in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 of the drawing. When the two plates are in position at opposite sides of the beam, the top flanges 19, confront each other but are spaced.

Each side plate 18, is provided with a boss or enlargement 20, on its side which extends downwardly from the upper edge and each boss or enlargement has a square passage or hole 21, extending horizontally therethrough and said holes register with the crosswise recess in the top of the beam so that the cross-bar 16, may extend therethrough and have support or bearing therein. Suitable binding or set screws 22, extend down through the enlargements and seat on the top side of the cross-bar whereby to secure said bar rigidly in place.

The side plates 18, are rigidly secured against the opposite sides of the beam by means of cross-bolts 23, which latter extend all the way through from one side to the other, as best illustrated in Figs. 3, and 5 of the drawing. These plates are therefore clamped to the opposite sides of the beam.

I preferably place a block 24, in the crossgroove 15, of the beam on top of the cross bar, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to provide a seat for a socket bracket, which latter will pres" ently be explained.

On top of the beam and between the flanges 19, I seat a socket bracket 25, which latter has a socket 26, therein and is also provided with a forwardly-extending perforated lug 27, which seats on the top surface of the beam.

A single screw passed through the perforation in lug 27, and screwed into the top of the beam is sufficient to hold this soc-ketbracket in place because the entire base of the bracket is located between the two flanges 19, and rotation. of the bracket on the single screw cannot take place. The rear or socket portion of this bracket seats on the insert block 24, and is sustained thereby.

A second bracket socket 28, is secured on the top of the beam and the socket in this latter bracket opens rearwardly and in alinement with the socket in the rear bracket 25, so that a bar 29, may extend horizontally between the two brackets and be sustained thereby in a position slightly elevated above the beam.

On the l'lOllZOIl'tAl bar 29, I slidably mount a head 30, which latter has a central passage 31, through which the bar extends This slide-head is provided at each side with a perforated lug 32, and also has a perforated lug 33 projecting from its top surface, all for purposes that will presently be explained.

On each of the free cross-bar ends 17, I mount a carrier head, the two heads being of like construction with the exception that they are rights and lofts, and a description of one will sutlice for both.

nacn caincr cat. (\b i see\ c 34, with an angular or squared passage 35, extending therethrough, as perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 6, of the drawing, and each sleeve member is provided on its upper side with a threaded pin, stem or bolt 36, for a purpose which will also presently be explained. Beneath the sleeve-member, each head has a socket-member 37, formed inte grally therewith. This socket-member is provided with a passage 38, which is elongated at its forward end, as shown in Fig.

6, of the drawing, and at the upper andlower sides of this elongated passage-end, the socket-member is provided with screwthreaded perforations for the reception ofadjusting screws 39, both of which are shown in Fig. 1.

At the rear end, the socket-member has a screw-threaded opening 4:0, in its side which opens into therear end of the passage 38, so that a screw or bolt d1, passing through said opening 40, may be projected into said passage and engage a cutter-bar arm -12, that is carried by the socket member.

Link bars 43, form connections between the carrier-heads and the slide head 30, on the central bar 29,--each link bar having its forward end pivotally engaging a side lug 32, on the slide head and its rear end pivotally engaging the pin, stem or bolt 36, on the sleeve member 34, of the carrier head.

The carrier heads comprising the combined sleeve and socket members are constructed to be moved. when desired, along the free ends 17, of the cross-bar 16, so as to move them toward or from the beam 13, and the link connections 43, between said heads and the slide head 30, are designed to effect this adjustment on the carrier heads simultaneously when the slide head is moved along the bar 29. The movement of the slide head is produced by means which will now be explained.

On the rear end of the beam 13, I mount a segment rack ll, and I also provide a pivoted lever d5, which swings immediately at the side of the rack. This lever carries a pawl device d6, of well-known form which pawl engages the rack so the lever may be retained in any desired position between the two ends of the rack. A lug -l-7, projects forwardly from the lever and a connecting bar 4-8, pivotally connects the lug d7, with the lug 33, on top of the slide-head 30. It will thus be seen that by rocking the lever d5, the bar $8, and slide head30, may be moved -forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the beam and when so moved will slide the car rier heads on the free ends 17, of the crossbar 16.

As is common in machines of this character, I provide two handle-bars d9, which are attached to the beam and project rearwardl therefrom so the operator may guide and properly manipulate the same.

I also provide two cutter-bar arms 92, which extend along the ground and carry cutter blades 50, and at the rear ends these arms 42, curve upwardly and forwardly and have their upper ends projected into and through the passages 38, in the socket members 37. The bolt or screw %1, passing through the side of the socket member secures the upper end of the cutter-bar arm, while the extreme end of this arm has position in the elongated forward end of said passage 38 where it can be raised or lowered to effect an adjustment of the ground position of the arm.

lVhen this adjustment is effected by loosening one of the screws 39 and tightening the other, the arm will remain in the adjusted position.

Having described my invention, what I claim is,

1. The combination with a beam, of a runner supporting the beam; a bar extend ing lengthwise of the beam; carrier heads sustained at opposite sides of the beam; an operating lever at the rear of the said beam; a slide head movable on said bar; connections between the slide head and the carrier heads; means for connecting the slide head with the lever, and cutter arms secured in the carrier heads.

2. The combination with a beam, of a runner supporting the beam; a bar supported at its ends but spaced from the beam a slide head movable on the bar between said supported ends; across-barhaving free ends whichadiverge from a point near the rear end of said first-named bar; a carrier head on each free end of said cross-bar; connections between said carrier heads and the slide head; a lever pivotallymounted on said beam behind said cross-bar, a connection between said'lev'erand the-slide head, and cutter arms secured inthe carrier heads.

3. The combination with a beam, of a runner supporting the beam; a bar extending crosswise of the beam and having free ends that extend in diverging directions at 0pposite sides of the beam; means for holding the cross-bar down; a carrier head on each bar-end; a longitudinal bar attached to the beam and extending forwardly with respect to the cross-bar, a head sliding on the iongitudinal bar; connections between said sliding head and the carrier heads; means for operating the sliding head to move both carrier heads, and a cutter arm secured to each carrier head.

4. The combination with a beam, of a runner supporting the beam; plates secured to the side of the runner and having openings therein; a cross-bar extending through the openings in said plates and having free ends that diverge; a carrier head on each barend, means for sliding said heads on said bar between the free ends and the said plates, and a cutter arm secured to each carrier head.

5. The combination with a beam, of a runner supporting the beam and having a crossnotch in its upper side; a plate at each side of the beam at said notch and each plate having a side opening which registers with said notch and also having securing devices at said openings; a bar extending across the notch and projecting through the openings in the two side plates and the free ends of the bar being bent in diverging directions; a carrier head 011 each bar-end; means for moving said heads on said ends toward and from said plates and a cutter arm secured to each carrier head.

6. A carrier head for vine cutting machines having a sleeve member and a socket member said socket member having a passage therethrough which is elongated at one end and adjusting devices at opposite sides of the elongated passage-end.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature GEORGE L. MOCREADY. 

